Venetian blind installation bracket



H. NELSON VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION BRACKET Jun 8, 1954 Filed Aug. 50, 1949 FIG.|

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INVENTOR 35 HARRY NELSON FIG. 7 2 BY A. HIS ATTORNEYS Patented June 8, 1954 atsosse VENE'I'IAN BLIND INSTALLATION BRACKET Harry Nelson, New York, N. Y., assignor to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg. Corp, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,180

6 Claims.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and more particularly to a so-called installation bracket for removably supporting a blind in position adjacent a window or door.

A Venetian blind is essentially an assembly of superimposed articulated slats which are carried by a headbar extending across the top of the blind and on which is mounted mechanism for raising and tilting the slats of the blind. This arrangement facilitates installation of the blind as a unit. In the usual construction, installation brackets which have been secured to the window jamb are used to removably support the ends of the headbar.

The installation bracket of the present invention is particularly adapted for suporting a socalled enclosed head in which the headbar is hollow, often being formed of a light gauge sheet metal channel more or less enclosing the lifting and tilting mechanism of the blind. Such headbars are usually much larger in cross section than wooden headbars, in which the slats of the blind are suspended from a tilt bar rotatably mounted on the underside of the headbar.

In the form shown of the present invention, the bracket comprises a sheet metal stamping consisting of a generally rectangular flat metal plate having a bottom flange and a rear flange extending inwardly at right angles to the plate. The bottom flange is adapted to support the end of a headbar. In some installations the rear flange serves to mount the bracket, and in all installations it serves to confine the mounted headbar as regards rearward movement thereof. One feature of the present invention is that the bottom and rear flanges are joined together so that the rear flange aids in supporting the bottom flange against bending, thus permitting the bracket to be formed of lighter gauge metal and still have the requisite strength.

A retainer is swingably mounted adjacent the upper front corner of the plate and may be swung into closed position in which a front flange of the retainer retains the headbar on the bracket. The bottom portion of this front flange is formed into a latch which engages beneath the bottom flange to further support the bottom flange against bending. This latch cooperates with a cam surface on the retainer to move the retainer into latching position with the bottom flange as it is swung to closed position.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved installation bracket for enclosed headbars which is adapted for economical quantity production and which may be formed of lighter gauge sheet metal without sacrifice of strength.

Among the further objects of the invention are the provision of an improved bracket in which the headbar supporting flange is reinforced against bending, and in which a swingable retainer is provided with an improved latch for holding the retainer in closed position.

Further objects and objects relating to details and economies of construction, manufacture and use will more definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

My invention is clearly defined in the appended claims. In the claims, as well as in description, parts are at times identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. The best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention is i1- lustrated in the accompanyin drawings forming part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a bracket constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an inside elevation of the bracket, the bottom flange being shown partly in section and. the retainer being shown in closed position. The retainer is indicated in dot-dash lines in completely open and partly open positions.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the bracket.

Fig. 4 is an outside elevation of the bracket, the retainer being shown in closed position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4, the retainer being shown in fully opened position and portions of the bracket and retainer being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the bracket.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the bracket, taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section, taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2 and showing the joining of the bottom and rear flanges of the bracket.

The brackets of the present invention are made and used in pairs, one bracket for the left-hand end of the headbar, and one for the right-hand end of the headbar. The bracket shown is for the lefthand end of the headbar and it will be understood that the other bracket of the pair is of the same construction but of opposite hand.

The bracket consists of only three parts, which, for convenience, will be called the body, the retainer and the pivot. The body, which is designated as a whole by H], is a one-piece sheet metal stamping.

The retainer, designated as a wholeby H, is also a one-piece sheet metal stamping. The pivot is formed of a suitable, conventional rivet I2, which may be of the tubular type.

The body it comprises a substantially flat rectangular plate Hi (vertical when in installed position) provided with a lower horizontal marginal flange I and a vertical rear marginal flan e It. The flange i5 is adapted to receive and support one end of an enclosed headbar of a Venetian blind. For convenience, the edge of the flange l5 adjacent the plate It will be referred to as the inner edge and the opposite edge as the outer edge.

The plate It is provided with holes 11,11 to receive screws for mounting the bracket to the side of a window jamb. The rear flange l6, which confines the headbar insofar as rearward movement thereof is concerned, is provided with holes it! to receive screws for securing the bracket to the front of the window jamb, this bracket being adapted for mounting on either the side or the front of the lamb. A small dimple or bump 23 may be pressed into the plate id to act as a separator during electroplating.

Between the level of the upper and lower screw holes l9 and generally centrally of the rear flange, a filler 2B is pressed forwardly a distance at least equal to the thickness of the head of a roundheaded screw such as would sometimes be used for securing the flange [8 to the front of a window jamb. When the bracket is mounted on the side of the jamb, there are no screw heads at any of the holes Iii and the flller 28 then serves to prevent substantial looseness between the installed headbar and the rear flange It. Thus, the forward wall of the headbar will be positioned snugly against the retainer 1 l at the front of the bracket, thereby obviating an unsightly gap.

The lower flange i5 and rear flange it are joined together by an extension 2! at the rear of the lower flange which extension projects upwardly in front of and parallel to the rear flange. The extension 2! is located in the outer portion of the flange (5 (away from the plate M) and is provided with a laterally-extending tab 22 which passes through a slot 24 in the rear flange and is bent flat against the rear flange.

The area 25 of the rear flange adjacent the slot 2% may be pressed inwardl slightly for receiving tab 22 so as to preserve a planar mounting surface for the rear flange. The depressed area 25 spaces the extension 2! slightly from the rear flange for a purpose to be explained later. The extension 2! comes within the space between the headbar and the flange it maintained by the filler 28 and thus does not interfere with the headbar. Supporting the outer edge of the lower flange 15 from the rear flange l6 serves to reinforce the lower flange against bending downwardly under the weight of the blind and per mits the bracket to be fabricated of much lighter gauge sheet metal than would otherwise be required in order to provide a dependable rigid bracket.

For convenience of manufacture, the slot 24 may be diamond shaped in outline and the tab 22 slightly tapered and provided with a rounded end (Fig. 3). This construction facilitates insertion of the tab within the slot by affording lateral tolerance in all directions the tab is enteredwithin the slot. After the tab 22 is completely inserted in the slot the somewhat wider base portion of the tab extends substantially completely across the slot so as to provide a firm connection.

For further convenience of manufacture the tab 22 is bent down on the rear flange it in such position so as to extend away from the plate 14. Such construction facilitates successive bending of the flange I6 and tab 22 in a single operation conducted with a single set of dies.

The retainer H is generally L-shaped in transverse cross section and has a generally flat side flange 26 that is swingably attached to. the upper front corner portion of the plate M. A front flan e 2'? of the retainer extends at right angles to the side flange 26 and serves to overlie the front wall of the headbar and maintain the headbar in position on the flange 15 of the bracket.

The upper portion of the retainer H is swingably attached to the inside face of the plate is by a rivet 12. This rivet passes through an elongated slot 29 that extends diagonally upwardly and rearwardly in the top portion of flange 28 of the retainer. The slot coacts with the rivet to form a pin-and-slotconnection permitting-both pivotal and sliding movement of the retainer.

The slot 29. preferably has its margin pressed inwardly away from the plate l4 so as to permit a longer shank for the rivet I2 and provide additional tolerance in forming this connection, the raised margin makingthe rivet engaged portion of the side flange 26 of the retainer somewhat rcsilient so as to facilitate obtaining a relatively tight fit between the retainer and plate It with out binding. .The rivet i2 is received in a round hole in the upper front corner of plate 14 and deformed to hold it in place. The function of the slot 29 of the retainer will be. explained later in connection with the retainer latch.

The top end or edge of side flange 26 of the retainer H projects somewhat forwardly of the front edge of plate i l (see Fig. 4) and the forwardly-projecting portion 38 of the retainer side flange projects laterally as a raised bead or corrugation lying in front of the forward edge of plate Hi so as to hide this edge when the bracket is viewed in front elevation. The portion 30 of the retainer side flange 26 also serves as a stop to limit the opening movement of the retainer II to the substantially horizontal position indicated in Fig. 5. For this purpose, the upper front corner of the plate 14 is cut away as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the top edge of the portion 30 of the retainer in open position engaging the forward edge of theplate I l above the rivet i2. To assure the meeting of these two edges even after the rivet may have become somewhat loosened from a period of use, a small portion 31 of the plate l4 may be slightly displaced towards the retainer side flange 26.

In order toholdthe retainer in the open posi tion shown in Fig. 5 against the force of gravity, the upper-front corner 32 of the retainer side flange 26 may be displaced very slightly towards plate Hi. This displaced portion of the retainer flange initially does not overlie plate I l but, upon opening movement of the retainer H, overlies and frictionally engages the side of plate M and tends to displace the retainer flange 26 away from the plate Hi so as also to cause the rivet 52 to bind on the retainer.

The lower edge of the retainer front flange 2'! is continued downwardly below the lower flange l5 of the bracket body H] and turned back upon itself in spaced relationto form a latch portion;

- 7, taken in conjunction with Fig. 2, the free end of latch portion 34 is turned upwardly and engages beneath the flange I5. A narrow tab 35 continues upwardly from the up-turned end of latch portion 34; and, when the retainer H is in closed position, this tab projects into a slot 3G formed in flange I5 near the outer edge thereof. Closing movement of the retainer I I may be limited by the inner face or" the front flange 2'! closing against the front edge of the lower flange I5 of the body It.

The lower edge of the retainer side flange 25 is upwardly and rearwardly inclined to provide a cam surface 37 for engaging the front edge of the lower flange I5 at a point adjacent to the plate It. The arrangement of this lower edge is such that as the retainer I I is moved towards closed position, the action of this cam surface against the lower flange I5 of the bracket body will move the retainer bodily upwardly on the bracket body and advance the latch portion 34 of the retainer towards the under surface of the lower flange I5. As the retainer moves towards closed position, from the last position indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2, the upwardly projecting tab 35 strikes the under side of the flange I5 somewhat to the rear of its forward edge, As the retainer I I is moved into completely closed position, the retainer continues to be forced upwardly relative to the bracket body III until the rivet I2 is adjacent the lower end of the slot 29. t

The upwardly-projecting tab 35 on the latch portion of the retainer I I deflects the outer edge portion of the flange I5 upwardly, and simultaneously deflects the latch portion 34 downwardly slightly, until the tab 35 registers with and enters the slot 35, at which time the retainer is in completely closed and latched position.

The retainer may be opened by disengaging the tab 35 from the slot 36 and swinging the retainer forwardly. To facilitate disengagement of the tab 35 from the slot 36 there is a slight space between the underside of the flange I5 and the latch portion 3 3 which permits entrance of a small lever, such as the blade of a screw driver, for flexing the latch portion 34 and the overlying portion of the flange i5 away from one another and thereby freeing the retainer so that it may be swung to open position.

The cam surface 37 does not extend to the front of the retainer side flange 26. Instead, the front lower portion of the side flange is formed as a horizontal seat or end 38 which is adapted to rest on top of the lower flange I5, adjacent the plate I4, when the retainer is in completely closed position. In such position the end 38 holds the re- I tainer ii upwardly and thereby maintains. the up-turned end of latch portion 34 snugly against the bottom of flange 25 (Fig. '7) with tab 35 extending into slot 3S.

It will be seen that in this form of installation bracket, the headbar supporting lower flange I5 of the bracket body is supported near its outer edge at both its front and rear ends. This prevents sagging of the flange under the weight of the headbar. Further, since in closed position downward movement of the retainer I I is resisted due to the fact that the retainer is actually resting along the inner edge of the flange I5, load falling on the outer edge of the flange I5 is communicated through the retainer to the inner edge of the flange I5 rather than to the rivet I2 of the retainer, thus transmitting the load of the headbar more directly to the bracket body Ill and greatly reducing the moment acting on the flange.

It is more or less the practice of the Venetian blind trade to stock headbars in the commonly used sizes in one inch incremental lengths, the bottom flange I5 of each installation bracket being slightly in excess of one inch in width so as to support the headbar without danger of its dropping out of the installation brackets. Such construction has the disadvantage in that the load of the headbar often rests on the lower flange I5 of the bracket along or near its outer edge, thus creating a considerable bending moment tending to bend the flange downwardly. By forming the bracket in the manner above described, the lower flange is reinforced against such bending at both its forward and rearward ends, thus permitting the bracket to be made of lighter gauge metal than would otherwise be possible and still possess the requisite strength and rigidity.

If desired, the plate 54 may be provided with a top horizontal flange (not shown) extending from the upper edge of the plate and parallel to and above the flange I5. This flange is for use in so-called ceiling mountings in which screws pa sing through the top flange support the bracket on the underside of a lintel or other horizontal surface. In such a construction, the rear end of the top flange may be connected with the rear flange IS in the same manner as the bottom flan e I5 to aid in preventing bending of the top flange. The top flange terminates rearward of the front edge of plate I4 a sufficient distance to provide necessary clearance for moving the retainer I I to open position.

I claim:

1. A. stamped sheet-metal bracket for receiving and supporting one end of a Venetian blind headbar, comprising: a vertical plate, laterally-extending horizontal and vertical flanges stamped integral with the plate and projecting from the same side of the plate, the horizontal flange constituting a headbar-supporting shelf of substantial dimension lengthwise of the headbar, and the vertical flange providing a stop which limits rearward movement of a headbar end resting on the shelf, and a retainer attached to the upper front corner portion of the plate by a pin-andslot connection, the retainer being swingable to opened position for admitting the end of a headbar to the shelf and to closed position for retaining the end of the headbar on the shelf, the pinand-slot connection rendering the retainer upwardly movable as it approaches closed position, the retainer having a front flange provided at its lower end with an extension which projects rearwardly when the retainer is in closed position and has an up-turned end, and the retainer having a side flange positioned in a plane closely adjacent to the plane of the plate, said side flange having at its lower end a cam formation which engages the headbar-supporting shelf adjacent to the plate as the retainer is closed and moves the retainer upwardly bringing the up-turned end of said extension into firm supporting engagement with the bottom of the shelf.

2. A bracket as in claim 1 in which the headbar-supporting shelf is provided with an opening, and the rip-turned end of the retainer extension is provided with a tab which strikes the bottom of the shelf and flexes the shelf upwardly as the retainer approaches closed position and which aligns with said opening and is engaged by the shelf in latched relationship as the retainer reaches closed position.

3. A bracket as in claim 2 in which, when the retainer is closed, the retainer extension is spaced 7.. below the headbar-supporting shelf sufficiently to provide a space receptive of a lever for flexing the shelf upwardly and unlatching the retainer.

4..A bracket for receiving and supporting one end of a- Venetian blind headbar, comprising: a vertical plate, laterally-extending horizontal and vertical flanges projecting from the same sideof the plate, the horizontal flange constituting a headbar-supporting shelf of substantial dimension lengthwise of the headbar, and the vertical flange providing a stop which limits rearward'movement of a headbar end resting on the shelf, and a retainer attached to th upper front corner portion of the plate by a pin-and-slot connection, the retainer being swingable to opened position for admitting the end of a headbar to the shelf and to closed position for retaining the end of the headbar on the shelf, the pin-andslot connection rendering the retainer upwardly movable as it approaches closed position, the retainer-having a front flange provided at its lower end with an extension which projects rearwardly when the retainer is in closed position and has an upwardly-projecting portion at least part of which is located remotely from the plate, and

the retainer having a side flange positioned in a plane closely adjacent to the plane of the plate, said side flange having a cam formation which engages a portion of the bracket adjacent to the plate as the retainer is closed and moves the retainer upwardly bringing the upwardly-extending portion of said extension into firm supporting engagement with the bottom of the shelf at a point removed from the vertical plate.

, 5. A bracket is in claim in which the cam r formation includes a seat portion which, when the retainer is in closed position, engages a por-, tion of the bracket and holds the retainer in elevated position, with the upwardly-extending portion of the retainer extension infirm supporting extending horizontal and vertical flanges stamped integral with the plate and projecting from the sameside of the plate, the horizontal flange constituting a headbar-supporting shelf of substantial dimension lengthwise of the headbar and provided with a latching opening and the vertical flange providing a stop which limits rearward movement of a headbar end resting on the shelf, and a retainer attached to the upper front corner portion of the plate by a pin-and-slot connection, the retainer being swingable to opened position for admitting the end of the headbar to the shelf and to closed position for retaining the end of the headbar on the shelf, the pin-andslot connection rendering the retainer upwardly movable as it approaches closed position, the retainer having a front flange provided at its lower end with an extension which projects rearwardly when the retainer is in closed position and has an upwardly-projecting latching tab, and the retainer having a side flange positioned in a plane closely adjacent to the plane of the plate, said side flange having at its lower end a cam formation which engages a portion of the bracket adjacent to the plate as the retainer approaches closed position, the latching tab striking the bottom of the shelf and flexing it upwardly as the retainer approaches closed position and aligning with said latching opening and being engaged by the shelf in latched relationship as the retainer reaches closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re.14,284 Bayliss April 17, 1917 243,009 Topham June 14, 1881 1,763,160 Knight June 10, 1930 1,963,951 Bowers June 26, 1934 2,200,510 Lorentzen May 4, 1940 2,255,326 Mlntz Sept. 9, 1941 2,267,160 McKerlie Dec. 23, 1941 2,526,393 Nelson Oct. 1'7, 1950 

